Returen end and method of making same



R. A. THON).

RETURN END AND METHOD 0F MAKING SAME.

APPLICATION FILED AIIGJG. IsIs.

R. A. THOM.

RETURN'END AND METHOD 0F MAKING SANIE. APPLICATION FILED AUG.26,1919.

Patented Aug. 8, 1922.,

6 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

l R. A. THOIVI.

RETURN END AND METHOD DE MAKING SAME.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.26, 1919. l ,4252495 Patented Aug. 22,

6 SHEETS*S EE R. A. THOM. RETURN END AND METHOD DE MAKING SAME.

APPLICATIUN IILtU ALMLZ; 1919.

MMM. 9W 1T 9H oo nw um Am d8 e6 m e5 .M/ nl (ZM/Md@ /Q/Mw jim@ 7 /%/M% 6 SHEETS-SHEET 5.

R. A. THOIVI.

RETURN END AND METHOD 0F MAKINGSAME.

APPLICATION FILED AUG.26,

R. A. THOM.

RETURRl END ANDI METHOD 0F MAKING-SAME. APPLicATloN FILED Auuz. |919.

1,425,495, Patented Aug. 8, 1922.

6 SHEETS-SHEET 6.

UNITED- STATES VPATIEZN'I OFFICEo ROBERT ABSALOM THOM, OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND, ASSIGNOR'TO THE SUPER- HEATEB CORPORATION LIMITED, OF LONDON, ENGLAND.

RETURN END AND METHOD OF MAKING SAME.

Specification of Letters Patent.,

Patented Aug. s, 1922.

Application led August 26, 1919. Serial No, 320,054.

England, (whose post-o ce address is 11.

4 Levenv Terrace, Fairfield, Manchester, in

the county of Lancaster, England,) have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Return Ends and Methods of Making Same; and I dohereby declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art towhich it appertains to make and use the same.

This invention relates to steam superheated ipes or elements of the U-loop or return ipe type such for instance as those emp oyed in steam superheaters for locomotive and marine boilers.

The invention consists in improvements in or relating to steam super-heater elements or pipes of the type mentioned, and, more particularly to improved return ends or connectors for the pipes of such elements and Vto an improved method of manufacturing suoh-ends or connectors.

The present invention has for its principal objects to produce a wrought weldless, preferably mild steel, return superheate'd pipe end capable of withstanding very hi h temperature without deterioratlon oftie metal, and to produce such a return end by a simple and-economical method of manufacture.

To provide return ends or torpedo ends ofthe kind heretofore employed on superheater pipes it has been customary to bend the ends of the two ipes to be united and weld them at the ongitudinal joint by means ofthe Oxy-acetylene or other suitable process of welding, and in some cases malleable east iron and cast steel ends have been provided on superheater pipes.

To avoid the above mentioned deterioration of the metal, incidental to the return ends heretofore, employed, it is desirable to l.provide the superheater pipes with return ends formed without any welding and of material which approximatesin quality to that of the metal of which the superheater pipes are made,` and this desirable end is attained by means of this invention! It has heretofore been proposed to make return ends or connectors for the pipes of U-loop steam su erheater elements and the' like by forging rop stamping or like operas tions on a solid bar or piece of steel, a hollow forging being` thus produced which when reheated is subjected to a further stamping, pressing or like operation so as to press together the central portions of the side walls of the forging these portions being subsequentlywelded together so as to form a brid or partition between the orilices at thel ise or end of the forging to which the pipes of the element are conneoted. n

According to this invention a weldless wrought metaL-prefe'rably mild steel,- return end or connector is made from a solid bar or piece of metal of suitable dimensions by a drop forging, stamping or like operation the piece of metal, (or a portion of the solid bar) being thus formed of the desired external contour which would preferably be the contour of the iinished article; in this solid shaped j piece two holes are then formed, by any suitabley method or operation, these holes extending from the base or wider end of the shaped piece to a suitable distance from the opposite end where they meet or intersect so as to provide the necessary throughway for the passage of steam, an integral portion of sists of a weldlessnmild steel dro stamping or forging of suitable shape 1n which the throughway or steam passage, which forms communication between they pipes of the element, is formed by removing metal from the solid shaped forging by drilling or other suitable milling or cutting operations. v

Further for providing the abovel mentioned throughway or steam passage in the solid forging the forging is placed in a suitable angular drilling jig and is drilled at its base or wider end so as to provide twb cylindrical holes arranged at a suitable lili ioo

angle to each other and so( that the said holes meet or intersect within the shaped with each other and preferably of such a` size as to receive the ends of the two pipes of the element to be united by the return end, these Xdrilled holes in the end being separated by an` integralA portion or web of metal forming an integral part of the end. If desired the above ment1oned parallel portions of the holes drilled in the end may be of a size or diaemeter equal to the internal diameter of' one of the superheater 1 es. p urther in order that the cross area of the steamway through the return end shall at no oint be less than the cross area of one of tlie superheater pipes surplus metal is removed from the interior of the above mentioned drilled passages by means of a suitable drilling or milling tool formed with a suitable angle for instance 600.

The ends of the superheater'pipes to be connected by the return end or connector are preferably secured to the return end by being inserted in the above mentioned parallel portions of the drilled holes forming the steamway through the end and being shrunk on the pipes which are also preferably attached to the base or wider end of the forging by welding. If desired the ends of the pipes could be butt-welded to the base or wider end of the above mentioned return end in which case the aforesaid portions of the holes in the wider end would be of a diameter equal to that of the internal diameter or bore of one of the pipes.

It will-be understood that as only one forgin operation is required in the production o a return end or connector according to this invention, no reheating of the metal -is necessary.

In order that the invention may be more readily understood and carried into effect reference is made to the accompanying 'drawings in which Fig. 1 shows an end elevation of the upper and lower dies suitable for producing the solid shaped forging.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional elevation on the line A--B Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a plan view of the faces of the die blocks shewn in Figs. 1 and 2.

Figs. 4, 5 and 6 are respectively a side elevatiom a centralvertical section, and a plan View of the solid shaped forging produced by means of the dies shewn in Figs. 1 and 2.

. memes lFig. 7 is-a sectional elevation of a complete return end orconnector according to this invention, Fig. 8 being -a plan view of the complete connector and Fig. 9 a transverse section on the line C^D Fig. 8.

Figs. y10, 11 and 12 are similar views to Figs. 7, 8 and 9 but shew the return end of the connector attached to the ends of the superheater pipes'.

Figs. 13 and 14 are side elevations of a jig employed inthe drilling of the through-way or steam passage through the return end, Figs. 15 and 16 being end views of this jig.

Figs. 17 to 20 inclusive-'show detailsof the j1g hereinafter described.

Fig. 21' shows a connector, made according to this invention, for connecting two pipes to a third larger diameter pipe.

Like reference numbers indicate corresponding parts in the several figures of the drawings. l

As shewn in Figs. 1, 2 and 3, the upper movable die l and lower fixed die 1a have formed in their` adjacent faces suitably shaped recesses 2 identical. in both dies, 3 being cut away portions of the die blocks to enable the'solid bar to be readily broken off from the portion thereof which has been op# erated upon by the dies. As shewn in Figs. 1 and 3, a suitable projection 4 is provided 1n the recess 2 0f the die blocks so as 'to pro- .duce the depression 5 in the forging shewn in Figs. 4, 5 and 6.

1t will, of course, beunderstood that the block or bar of metalfrom which the forging shewn in Figs. 4, 5 and 6 is produced is suitably heated before being operated upon by the dies shewn in Figs. 1 and; 2.

The hereinbefore mentioned throughway or st eam passage is now formedV in the .solid forging shewn in Figs. 4, 5 and 6. The forging, which in practice Would, as the revsult of the forging operation. have left on it a slight fin or rib of metal indicated by dotted lines marked 6 in Figs. 4 and 5. is placed in the suitably shaped recess 7 in the rotatably mounted or angularly movable member or part 10 (see for instance Figs. 15 and 16) of the jlg, the portion 7*l of this recess accommodating t e above mentioned fin or rib 6 on the forging, and the forging is held 1n the recess 7 by means of the upper part or drill guide 8 (Figs. 15 and 17) of the iig which is secured in position by means of the swivelling bolts 9 mounted on pivots 9*,in suitable recesses 9b in the part 10 of the iig, 11 being nuts sere ed up on the bolts 9 so as tohold the plate or block 8 in position. As shewn in Fig. 15 the bolts 9 lie in notches or slots 8a, Figs. 15 and 17. in the block 8.

As shewn more clearly in Figs. 13. 14 and 20, the part -10 of the .jig is provided with a cylindrical projection or spigot 1G adapted to enter a corresponding hole in the bracket or support 12 which can be suitably clamped or secured in position on a suitable support, for instance on the table of a drilling machine, the aforesaid part 10 of the jig being secured to the bracket or support 12, in the required position, by means of a nut 13 screwed up on the outer end of the screw stud 14 the inner end of which is screwed into the spigot or projection 10a.

As shewn in Fig. 20 the pivots 9a'on which the bolts 9 are carried are screwed into holes in the part 10 of the jig, the pivot 9a entering the rear face of the part `10 vhaving a countersunk head so as to lie flush with the said face -Which, as shewn in Figs. 13 and 14, lies against the face of the vertical portion of the above mentioned bracket 12.-

15, Figs. 13 14, 18 and 20, are pins o1 dowels screwed into and projecting from the top of the member 10, and 16, Figs, 13 and 17, are holes in the upperpart or drill guide 8 adapted to be passed on to the dowels 15 when the member or part 8 is placed in the position shewn in Figs. 13 and 15.

17 Figs. 15 and 17 are hard steel bushes inserted in the block or member 8 of the jig these bushes 17 being provided with enlarged heads or collars 18 at their outer ends. The bushes 17 ,which form guides fo-r the drill employed for performing the drilling operation hereinafterdescribed, are inserted in holes 19in the member 8 these holes 19 being set at suitable angles to each other for performing the drilling operations hereinbefore mentioned. The bushes 17 can be readily removed from the member 8 when worn and replaced by new bushes. 20, Figs. 15, 16 18 and 20" is a groove or channel formed transversely and centrally in the bottom of the member 10 of the jig this groovebeing provided for the purpose hereinafter mentioned. 21, Figs. 13, 14, 15 and 16, is a block of steel or other suitable metal, the said block having formed on it the horizontal face 21 and the angularly arranged faces 22 and 23 as shewn in Figs. 15 and 16.

The faces 22 and 23 act as abutments or stops lfor limiting the angular position of the member l10 of the jig the said faces being formed or arranged at the required angle relative to the horizontal face 21, 24 is a filling piece or block, of steel or other suitable metal, and of Wedge-like form and having its lower side formed with faces adapted to fit or abut against the faces 21 and 22 as shew-n in Fig. 15,-or 21a and 23 as the case may be. The block or wedge member 24 has formed on it a rib or projection 25 adapted to slidably fit in the hereinbefore mentioned channel 20 in the bottom of the member 10 for the purposeof retaining the block 24 inthe position shewn in Fig. 15, also in the position in which the faces on the lowerside of the said block 24 rest on the faces 21a and 23. From the foregoing it will be understood that the block 24co-operating l gular position inwhich the bottom of the member 10 would bear upon the-face 22 on block 21 in which latter case the block 24 would be placed-between the faces 21a and v 23 and the right hand portion of the bottom Iof the member 10.

26, Fig. 16 is another block of steel, or other suitable metal, the lower side of Which is formed with faces corresponding to the faces 21, 22 and 23 on the above mentioned block 21, the block 26 being also preferably provided with overhanging portions or projections 26a at its ends these projections engaging the sides of the block 21 as shewn in Fig. 16.' The block 26 cooperating with the block 21 serves to hold the member 10 of the jig in the position shewn in Fig. 16 for performing the hereinbefore mentioned operation of drilling the outer-ends of the angularly `arranged holes in the forging which form the steam passage therethrough. 27, Figs. 16 and 19, is a drill guide or block employed when the operations of drilling out these outer ends of the holes in the forging are being performed, the block or member 27 being used in place of the block or member 8 which latter is used in drilling the angularly arranged holes in the forging. The centre lines of these angularly arranged holes are indicated by' dotted lines in Fig. 7 of the drawings. 28 are hard steel bushes fitted in holes 29 in the block,27,the said other as shewn. Each of the bushes 28 is provided with a flange orcollar 28a at its outer end as shewn, and these bushes act as guides for the drill employed in drilling'the outer parallel portions kof the holes forming the steam-Way through the return end.

Each of the blocks or members 8 and 27 has formed in its lower face arecess 30, Figs. 15, 16, 17 and 19, into which the 4base or Wider end of the forging projects whenzthe forging is placed in the jig for drilling.

31, Fi 15 indicates in dotted lines vthe drill emp oyed for drilling the angularly arranged holes in the' forging. .The dotted lines marked 32 in Fig; 16 indicate the drill employed vin drilling the outer ends. of the holes produced by the drill 31 so that these end portions are parallel with each other, the drilllng operation performed by the drill 32 also clearing out, as indicated at 33 Figs. 7 and 10, surplus Ametal so as to provide the requisite cross sectional area throughout the steamway or passage'through the forging. The enlarged diameter parallel arranged outer portions of the holes drilled inthe forging are marked 34 in Fig. 7. As shewn in Figs. 7 and 9 a substantial thickness of metal is leftat the apex or narrower end of the forging i. e. at the end exposed to the Y ing from the front face thereof and communicating at its inner end with the bottom ofthe hereinbefore mentioned recess 7 in the member 10. This hole 40 is provided for the vpurpose of clearin out small pieces of metal f or dirt or other o 'ectionable matter which might accumulate 1n the bottom of the re- It ywill be seen that the hereinbefore described blocksor members 8 and 27 of the jig serve, by means of the bolts 9 and nuts 14 to firmly hold or clamp the solid shaped forging in the recess 7 of the niember 10 during the drilling operations hereinbefore described. v C n.

By forming the outer ends orvportions 34 (Fig. 7) of the lholes forming the steam passage in the forging so that theseportions lie parallel with each other no bending or setting of theends of the superheater pipes is necessary for connecting the pipes to the return end. f

It will be seen .that the parallel arrange outer portions 34 (Fig.) ofthe holesl forming Vthe steam passage through the return end form sockets adapted to receive the ends *of the superheaterpipes (see Fig. 10) and whereby the return'end can be effectively, f shrunk on to and thus securedto the ends of the pipes.

operations', to produce the throughway or' i Figs. 4,5 and 6, the said forging is placedin For performing the aforesaid4 drilling steam passage in the solid forging shewn in the recess 7 in the member '10 of the gg. The forging is-shewn 1n dotted lines, Y lgs. 15

and 16, marked 50, in the said recess 7 and as shewn projects withl its base or Wider end above the topof the member 10 and into the hereinbef'ore mentioned recess 30 in the block or member 8 v(or 27 as the `case may be)l of .4 I the jig. To producevthe hereinbefore inentioned intersecting holes in the for 'ng the` member 10 of the jig with the mem er 8 in the position 'shewn in Fi 15, clamping the forging 50 in position 'in t e recess, is turned to the angular osition shewn in Fig. 15 in which it is held y means of the hereinbefore mentioned block orwedge piece 24 the left hand drill guide or bush 18 being then in. the vertical position as shewn. The drill is now inserted in the bush 18 and operated so as to drill the hole of the required depth in 13, 14 and 20 is a hole or passage formed in the member 10 of the jig, extendlare turned in the anticlockwise direction into the opposite angular position to that shewn in Fig. 15, i. e. to the position in which the bottom of the member 10 rests on the angular face 22 of the hereinbefore mentioned block 21, and the block or Wedge kpiece 24 is then inserted betweenthe faces 23 and 21a and the bottom of the member 10. When this has been done j the right-hand drill guide or bush 18, Fig.15 Will be inthe central verticalAJ position (previously o ccupied by the bush 18 when the first drilling operation was being performed) and the other hole is drilled to the required depth in the solid forging andfin this drilling operation the inner end of Vthis hole cuts into or intersects the previously drilled hole so that the two holes are thus in communication at their inner ends and `the integral bridge piece or partition'35 is leftseparating the outer ends -of these holes'. When these drill- Ving loperations have been comp-leted vthe member or block 8is removed as also the block or Wedge piece 24,l and the member 10 lof the jig is then turned to the vertical position shewn in Fig. 16 and is maintained or supported in this position by the hereinbefore mentioned block 26 as shewn in Fig. 16. ln placev of the drill guide block or member 8 the block or member 27 isapplied as shewn inA Fig. 16`and the drill 32 is employed to drill the outer end portions of the holes formed by the previous drilling. operations so as to'make these portions (34 Fig. 7) lie parallel 'with each other. In this drilling operation, as previously mentioned, the drill 32 removes surplus metal at 33 Fig. 7 This surplus metalv might, if desired, be removed by a drilling or milling operation subsequent to that described with reference to Fig. 16.

IThis completes thedrilling operation and on the outer portions 34 of the drilled holes or throughway inA the end and shrinking the end on the pipes and Subsequently welding the pipes to the return end as indicated at 36 Figs. 10 and 12 by the Oxy-acetylene or other Welding process.

It will be seen that as above described there is no weld of any kind in the return end itself. The absence of all welded joints from the return end. including the bridge piece or partition 35, avoids the liability of such joints being destroyed, or opening out, due to the severe conditions and very high temperature to which the return ends of superheater elements are subjected in use.

The invention as hereinbefore described is also applicable for producing a weldless wrot connector, of mild steel or other suitable metal, of the form shewn in Fig. Q1, suitable dies being of course employed For producing the solid forging in which the throughway or steam passages are subsequently formed by drilling operations in a similar manner to that hereinbefore described. VIn this case however, in addition to the angularly arranged holes drilled in the forging and intersecting.'

at their inner ends as hereinbefore described, another larger diameter hole is drilled in the opposite end of the forging so as to break into or communicate with the two angularly drilled holes. This connector (Fig. 2l) is adapted to have connectedto it at one (its wider) end two pipes and at its other end another, larger diameter pipe the cross sectional area of which latter pipe may be equal to the combined cross areas of the other two pipes. The angularly arranged holes in Fig. 2l are indicated by the numbers 37 and 37a and the larger diameter hole is marked 38.

What l claim as my invention and desire to secure byv Letters Patent is l. A return end or coupling for pipes, comprising a weldless block of wrought metal having a passage formed of two substantially parallel holes adapted for connection with the pipes, said holes being separated by a bridge piece `formed integral with the block, and two holes arranged at an angle to each other and communicating with each other at one end and operatively connected with the aforesaid holes at the other end.

2. return end or coulpling for pipes, comprising a weldless bloei of wrought metal having a passage formed ot two' substantially parallel holes adapted for connection with the pipes, and two straight cylindrical holes arranged at an angle to each other and communicating witheach other at one'end and operatively connected with the' aforesaid holes at the other end.

3. A return end or coupling for pipes, comprising a weldless block of wrought metal having'a passage formed of two substantially parallel holesv adapted for connection with the pipes, two straight cylindrical holes arranged at an angle to each other and communicating with each other at one end, and two conical holes arrangedl axially in line with the rst said holes and operatively connecting them with the other end portions of the two holes arranged at an angle to each other.

4. A return end or coupling for pipes, comprising a weldless block of wrought metal having a passage providedwith two inner straight cylindrical portions or holes which open into or intersect each other at one end in the block, and two outer portions arranged substantially parallel to each other and adapted for connection with the pipes, the said outer portions being separated by a bridge piece formed integral with the block. Y

5. The method of making a return end or coupling for pipes, which consists in drilling two holes in a block of metal at an angle to each other and until they intersect and communicate at-their inner ends, and then forming substantially parallel holes in the block at the outer ends of the aforesaid holes to afford a means for connecting them with the pipes.

6. The method of making a return end or coupling for pipes, which consists in drilling two holes in a block of metal at an angle to each other and until they intersect and coinmunicate at their inner ends, and then Jforining twosubstantially parallel holes having straight cylindrical outer portions and con-` ical inner portions which connect their straight cylindrical portions with the outer end portions of the rst said holes. Y

In testimony whereof l aiix my signature, in presence of-two witnesses.

aoeaafr aesALoM anon. Witnesses:

lV. NoosEN,

WV. H. SIXEsoN. 

